Carlos Alcaraz ‘annoyed’ as he’s doubtful for Madrid Open after injury in Barcelona final
Carlos Alcaraz suffered an injury during his Barcelona Open final match against Holger Rune and even took a medical timeout.
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Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/We Are Tennis)
Carlos Alcaraz is in Madrid, bidding to win his third title of the tournament following the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He is scheduled to meet the winner of the first-round match between Zizou Bergs and Yoshihito Nishioka on Friday (April 25).
Alcaraz will enter the Madrid Open on the back of the Barcelona Open final, where Holger Rune denied him his third title in the tournament by ending his trophy drought (before Barcelona, he last lifted the 2023 BMW Open). In the final, however, the Spaniard injured his upper right leg and even took a medical timeout during the second set.
Although Alcaraz underwent an MRI scan and previously stated that he was fine, he is in doubt about his participation now. Even if he plays, he is not expected to play to his full potential.
I had some tests done on Monday, and I am waiting for the results. At the beginning of the week, I thought I would be feeling better. My participation in Madrid is in doubt; I am a bit physically annoyed. But you have to listen to your body and see how the tests go.
Carlos Alcaraz told El Hormiguero
Last year, Alcaraz kick-started his campaign on the clay swing at the Madrid Open but couldn’t complete a three-peat as he fell in three sets to eventual winner Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz will be chasing his third title of the season in the Spanish capital following his victory at the Rotterdam Open and the Monte Carlo Masters, both of which he lifted for the first time in his career.
Rafael Nadal reveals what Carlos Alcaraz must do to reach his Grand Slam title tally
Carlos Alcaraz is the winner of four Grand Slam titles. He is just 21 right now and has ample amount of time to not only reach a double-digit tally but emulate what Rafael Nadal has achieved.
The youngster lifted his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open and denied Novak Djokovic the Calendar Grand Slam by beating him in the 2023 Wimbledon Final. Last year, he completed the Channel Slam. Nadal, in Alcaraz’s new Netflix documentary Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, advised the young gun not to let his motivation die down if he wants to reach the 20 Grand Slam title mark.
To match those figures you need many years, no matter how good you are, you can’t do it in five years. You have to be able to live with that drive or goal and pursue it until you actually achieve it.
Rafael Nadal said
Nadal is one of the three Men’s players with 20 or more Grand Slam titles, having won 22 of them; the last of which he lifted at the 2022 French Open by easing past Casper Ruud. But the following season, he suffered from a hip injury at the Australian Open and ended up skipping the rest of the season. In 2024 then, the King of Clay finally bade his farewell to tennis after Spain’s 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinal tie.
Carlos Alcaraz is the sixth player to win multiple Madrid Open since 2002
Madrid Open became a part of the Masters 1000 series in 2002 and since then, the tournament has seen six players winning multiple titles. Rafael Nadal stands on top of the table, winning five of them, followed by Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, both of who have three titles under their belt.
Andy Murray, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev have bagged two titles each. Alcaraz is projected to meet the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the semifinals and Zverev in the final.
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